Submersible drag barge

ABSTRACT

A dredging system for removing material under a structure may include a barge body including a plurality of barge sections, each barge section of the plurality of barge sections configured to selectively be fully submersed or partially submersed to adjust a height of the barge body. A dredging system for removing material under a structure may include a winch system attached to the barge body and including a cable. A dredging system for removing material under a structure may include a drag beam coupled to the barge body via the cable and configured to vertically move via the winch system between a deployed position and undeployed position.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No.63/287,584, filed on Dec. 9, 2021. The entire disclosure of the aboveapplication is incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD

The present disclosure relates to dredging systems, and moreparticularly to a submersible drag barge for excavation and miningapplications under water.

INTRODUCTION

This section provides background information related to the presentdisclosure which is not necessarily prior art.

There are two primary types of dredging currently in use: mechanicaldredging and hydraulic dredging. Mechanical dredging involves the use ofan excavator or other heavy equipment situated on a floating barge todig out the bed of a body of water and remove sediment. The sediment isplaced in a dump scow, for example a split hull dump scow, and hauledaway for disposal or reuse. Hydraulic dredging involves the use ofsuction to remove the sediment, which is transported through a pipe anddeposited to another location to be disposed of or recycled.

Dredging under structures built partially or fully over a body of waterfor maintenance or to add depth is common. However, dredging underalready built structures can be challenging due to the clearance betweenthe structure's platform and waterline. Lack of clearance can causedamage to the platform and supporting structures such as pilings.Furthermore, the material being removed may be at a location that is toofar to reach for common dredging equipment.

There is a continuing need for a dredging system that can provide saferemoval and access to material that is hard to reach due to the locationor varying clearances between the platform and waterline.

SUMMARY

In concordance with the instant disclosure, a dredging system that canprovide safe removal and access to material that is hard to reach due tothe location or varying clearances between the platform and waterlinehas surprisingly been discovered.

Dredging systems and ways of using such are provided for removingmaterial under a structure. The dredging system can include asubmersible drag barge including a barge body having a plurality ofbarge sections. Each barge section can be configured to be selectivelyflooded to adjust a height of the barge body. A winch system can beattached to the barge body, where the winch system can include a cable.A drag beam can be coupled to the barge body via the cable, where thedrag beam can be configured to vertically move via the winch systembetween a deployed position and an undeployed position.

In one embodiment, a method of removing material from under a structureinclude providing a submersible drag barge. The dredging system caninclude a submersible drag barge including a barge body having aplurality of barge sections. Each barge section can be configured to beselectively flooded to adjust a height of the barge body. A winch systemcan be attached to the barge body, where the winch system can includecable. A drag beam can be coupled to the barge body via the cable, wherethe drag beam can be configured to vertically move via the winch systembetween a deployed position and an undeployed position. The barge bodycan be lowered by selectively flooding at least one of the plurality ofbarge sections. The boat can push the barge body under the structure.The drag beam can be lowered via the winch system. The barge body can bepulled from under the structure, thereby displacing material from underthe structure.

Further areas of applicability will become apparent from the descriptionprovided herein. The description and specific examples in this summaryare intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended tolimit the scope of the present disclosure.

DRAWINGS

The drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only ofselected embodiments and not all possible implementations, and are notintended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

FIG. 1 is top perspective view of a submersible drag barge system,according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is top plan view of the submersible drag barge system, depictinga first arrangement of barge sections;

FIG. 3 is top plan view of the submersible drag barge system, depictinga second arrangement of barge sections;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the submersible drag barge systemof FIG. 1 ;

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the submersible drag barge system;

FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of a drag beam of the submersible dragbarge system;

FIG. 7 is a top plan view of the submersible drag barge system, depictedwith a barge body pushed under a structure;

FIG. 8 is a side elevational view of submersible drag barge system,depicted with a barge body pushed under a structure;

FIG. 9 is a side elevational view of submersible drag barge system,depicted with a barge body pushed under a structure where the barge bodyis being pulled out from under the structure, thereby dredging beneaththe structure; and

FIG. 10 is a flow chart depicting a method of dredging underneath thestructure, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following description of technology is merely exemplary in nature ofthe subject matter, manufacture and use of one or more inventions, andis not intended to limit the scope, application, or uses of any specificinvention claimed in this application or in such other applications asmay be filed claiming priority to this application, or patents issuingtherefrom. Regarding methods disclosed, the order of the steps presentedis exemplary in nature, and thus, the order of the steps can bedifferent in various embodiments, including where certain steps can besimultaneously performed, unless expressly stated otherwise. “A” and“an” as used herein indicate “at least one” of the item is present; aplurality of such items may be present, when possible. Except whereotherwise expressly indicated, all numerical quantities in thisdescription are to be understood as modified by the word “about” and allgeometric and spatial descriptors are to be understood as modified bythe word “substantially” in describing the broadest scope of thetechnology. “About” when applied to numerical values indicates that thecalculation or the measurement allows some slight imprecision in thevalue (with some approach to exactness in the value; approximately orreasonably close to the value; nearly). If, for some reason, theimprecision provided by “about” and/or “substantially” is not otherwiseunderstood in the art with this ordinary meaning, then “about” and/or“substantially” as used herein indicates at least variations that mayarise from ordinary methods of measuring or using such parameters.

Although the open-ended term “comprising,” as a synonym ofnon-restrictive terms such as including, containing, or having, is usedherein to describe and claim embodiments of the present technology,embodiments may alternatively be described using more limiting termssuch as “consisting of” or “consisting essentially of.” Thus, for anygiven embodiment reciting materials, components, or process steps, thepresent technology also specifically includes embodiments consisting of,or consisting essentially of, such materials, components, or processsteps excluding additional materials, components or processes (forconsisting of) and excluding additional materials, components orprocesses affecting the significant properties of the embodiment (forconsisting essentially of), even though such additional materials,components or processes are not explicitly recited in this application.For example, recitation of a composition or process reciting elements A,B and C specifically envisions embodiments consisting of, and consistingessentially of, A, B and C, excluding an element D that may be recitedin the art, even though element D is not explicitly described as beingexcluded herein.

Disclosures of ranges are, unless specified otherwise, inclusive ofendpoints and include all distinct values and further divided rangeswithin the entire range. Thus, for example, a range of “from A to B” or“from about A to about B” is inclusive of A and of B. Disclosure ofvalues and ranges of values for specific parameters (such as amounts,weight percentages, etc.) are not exclusive of other values and rangesof values useful herein. It is envisioned that two or more specificexemplified values for a given parameter may define endpoints for arange of values that may be claimed for the parameter. For example, ifParameter X is exemplified herein to have value A and also exemplifiedto have value Z, it is envisioned that Parameter X may have a range ofvalues from about A to about Z. Similarly, it is envisioned thatdisclosure of two or more ranges of values for a parameter (whether suchranges are nested, overlapping or distinct) subsume all possiblecombination of ranges for the value that might be claimed usingendpoints of the disclosed ranges. For example, if Parameter X isexemplified herein to have values in the range of 1-10, or 2-9, or 3-8,it is also envisioned that Parameter X may have other ranges of valuesincluding 1-9, 1-8, 1-3, 1-2, 2-10, 2-8, 2-3, 3-10, 3-9, and so on.

When an element or layer is referred to as being “on,” “engaged to,”“connected to,” or “coupled to” another element or layer, it may bedirectly on, engaged, connected or coupled to the other element orlayer, or intervening elements or layers may be present. In contrast,when an element is referred to as being “directly on,” “directly engagedto,” “directly connected to” or “directly coupled to” another element orlayer, there may be no intervening elements or layers present. Otherwords used to describe the relationship between elements should beinterpreted in a like fashion (e.g., “between” versus “directlybetween,” “adjacent” versus “directly adjacent,” etc.). As used herein,the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more ofthe associated listed items.

Although the terms first, second, third, etc. may be used herein todescribe various elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections,these elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections should notbe limited by these terms. These terms may be only used to distinguishone element, component, region, layer or section from another region,layer or section. Terms such as “first,” “second,” and other numericalterms when used herein do not imply a sequence or order unless clearlyindicated by the context. Thus, a first element, component, region,layer or section discussed below could be termed a second element,component, region, layer or section without departing from the teachingsof the example embodiments.

Spatially relative terms, such as “inner,” “outer,” “beneath,” “below,”“lower,” “above,” “upper,” and the like, may be used herein for ease ofdescription to describe one element or feature's relationship to anotherelement(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the figures. Spatiallyrelative terms may be intended to encompass different orientations ofthe device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depictedin the figures. For example, if the device in the figures is turnedover, elements described as “below” or “beneath” other elements orfeatures would then be oriented “above” the other elements or features.Thus, the example term “below” can encompass both an orientation ofabove and below. The device may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptorsused herein interpreted accordingly.

Referring to FIGS. 1-9 , a submersible drag barge system 100 forremoving material beneath a platform of a structure 101 to add depthand/or clean the bed of a body of water is shown. The structure 101, asa non-limiting example, can be a dock, a building, or any otherstructure already constructed having a base or platform above a body ofwater. The submersible drag barge system 100 includes a barge body 102.The barge body 102 can be defined by a plurality of barge sections 104.The submersible drag barge system 100 can further include a winch system106 and a drag beam 108. The drag beam 108 can be movably attached to atleast one of the plurality of barge sections 104 via the winch system106. The submersible drag barge system 100 can be configured such thatthe barge body 102 can be selectively submerged to lower a freeboard ofthe barge body 102 in order to be pushed under the platform of thestructure 101 to a predetermined distance, where the drag beam 108 islowered to the material to be removed, which is described in greaterdetail below. It should be appreciated that a vessel's freeboard isgenerally understood to be the distance from the waterline to the upperdeck level, measured at the lowest point of sheer where water can enterthe boat or ship.

Each one of the plurality of barge sections 104 can be submersibleand/or semi-submersible. Accordingly, the barge body 102 can beconfigured to be fully submerged or partially submerged down below thewater surface by selectively flooding the plurality of barge sections104 in order to adjust the freeboard of the barge body 102. For example,each one of the plurality of barge sections 104 can be selectivelysubmersed by pumping water into ballast tanks (not shown) causing thebarge section 104 to submerse. Each barge section 104 can be fully orpartially submersed depending on site and water conditions in order toaccommodate varying distances between the waterline and the underside ofthe platform of the structure 101.

A boat 103, such as a push boat, skiff, tugboat, or towboat can be usedto move the submersible drag barge system 100 in and out from under thestructure 101. A support barge 105 can be utilized for lateral controlof the submersible drag barge system 100 while pushing and pulling thesubmersible drag barge system 100 in and out from under the structure101, as shown in FIG. 7 . For example, the support barge 105 can bepositioned alongside the submersible drag barge system 100 to maintainorientation by inhibiting the submersible drag barge system 100 fromspinning due to upstream and downstream forces of current, and/orweather conditions (e.g., high winds) that may otherwise displace thesubmersible drag barge system 100.

As best shown in FIGS. 2-3 , the plurality of barge sections 104 can beconfigured to be secured together side-to-side (e.g., FIG. 3 ),end-to-end (e.g., FIG. 2 ), or end-to-side to form the submersible bargebody 102. In certain embodiments, the individual barge sections 104 canbe configured to be interlocked with other individual barge sections104. The dimensions of the barge body 102 (e.g., length, width, height)can vary to permit the submersible drag barge system 100 to fit into apredetermined or allowable space between the structure and waterline andbetween any foundation pilings 107 of the structure 101. The length L1of the barge body 102 can vary based on the distance or how far thesubmersible drag barge system 100 is being pushed under the platform ofthe structure, which can be determined by the location of the materialbeing removed. The width W1 of the barge body 102 can vary based on thelocation and distance between foundation supports or pilings 107 of thestructure 101. For example, if a distance between opposing pilings 107permit a clearance of 15 feet, the width W1 of the barge body 102 can be15 feet to correspond to the piling clearance of the structure.Selectively adjusting the dimensions of the barge body 102 allows thebarge body 102 to be moved in and out from under the structure 101without contacting and/or damaging the structure, platform, and/orpilings 107.

In a non-limiting example embodiment shown in FIG. 2 , the plurality ofbarge sections 104 can be arranged in a first column 109 of bargesections 104 staggeredly secured to a second column 111 of bargesections 104. Each one of the first and second columns 109, 111 caninclude four barge sections 104 secured together end-to-end, whereinthree of the four barge sections 104 defines a length of about 30′ andone of the four barge sections 104 defines a length of about 15′. Assuch, each one of the first and second columns 109, 111 defines a lengthof about 105′. Each of the four barge sections 104 of the first andsecond columns 109, 111 define a width of about 7′6″. The first andsecond columns 109, 111 are configured to be secured to each otherside-by-side such that the width W1 of the submersible drag barge system100 is about 15′. The 15′ barge section 104 of the first column 109 isdisposed at a front end 110 of the submersible drag barge system 100 andthe 15′ barge section 104 of the second column 111 disposed at a rearend 112 of the submersible drag barge system 100 such that the bargesections 104 of the first column 109 are staggeredly arranged withrespect to the barge sections 104 of the second column 111. It should beappreciated that a skilled artisan can employ any length orconfiguration of the barge body 102, as desired.

As further shown in FIG. 2 , the plurality of barge sections 104 can beselectively flooded (indicated by shading), for example, to change asubmerged extent of the barge body 102 and thereby adjust the height ofthe submersible drag barge system 100. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, two barge sections in the first column and two barge sections in thesecond column 30 can be selectively submerged to uniformly submerge thesubmersible drag barge system 100 such that the height around theperimeter of the submersible drag barge system 100 is substantiallyuniform. Alternatively, the barge sections 104 can be selectivelysubmerged such that the submersible drag barge system 100 has a varyingheight from one end to the other end, or from one side to the otherside, to conform to site conditions of the area being dredged.

In another example embodiment shown in FIG. 3 , the plurality of bargesections 104 can include thirteen barge sections 104 secured togetherend-to-end. Each barge section 104 can define a length of about 7.5′ anda width of about 15′. In this example, the plurality of barge sections104 forms one column. As such, the thirteen barge sections have acombined length of about 97.5′ when secured together. As further shownin FIG. 3 , every other barge section 104 can be flooded (indicated byshading), for example, to change a submerged extent of the barge body102 and thereby adjust the height of the submersible drag barge system100.

The submersible drag barge system 100 can include a bumper extensionand/or an extender bumper 114 for additional distance to allow fullpenetration under the structure 101. The extender bumper 114 can beengaged by a boat 103 having a propulsion system, where the boat 103 isable to push the submersible drag barge system 100 in and out under thestructure 101. It should be noted that the boat 103 can be coupled toand/or engage the submersible drag barge system 100 other ways,including various direct and indirect ways.

It should be appreciated that one skilled in the art may scale thenumber, layout, and dimensions of the plurality of barge sections 104,as desired. Additionally, it should be appreciated that each of thebarge sections 104 may be independently and selectively flooded, asdesired, to conform the submerged extent of the barge body 102 to jobspecifications and site conditions.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 4 , the drag beam 108 can be disposed proximatethe front end 110 of the barge body 102. An attachment assembly 116, asshown in FIG. 6 , can connect the drag beam 108 to the barge body 102.In particular, the attachment assembly 116 can be configured to receivea cable 118 running from the front end 110 of the barge body 102. Thedrag beam 108 can be attached to the submersible barge body 102 suchthat the drag beam 108 is movable about a vertical axis Y between adeployed position and an undeployed position. More specifically, thewinch system 106 can be adapted to facilitate vertical movement of thedrag beam 108 relative to the submersible barge body 102 about avertical axis Y. The vertical movement allows for the drag beam 108 tomove between the deployed position (FIGS. 8-9 ) and the undeployedposition (FIG. 1 ).

As best shown in FIG. 6 , the drag beam 108 defines a shape configuredto cut into and/or grab the material to be removed and drag the materialout from underneath the structure. In one non-limiting example, the dragbeam 108 can include an H-beam or an I-beam. The attachment assembly 116can be disposed at an upper portion 134 of the drag beam 108 and caninclude a first pad eye 120 and a first shackle 122 configured toreceive the cable 118. The pad eye 120 can be attached to the drag beam108 by any method known in the art, such as welding. In one example, theshackle 122 can include a hole 124 configured to receive the cable 118.

The drag beam 108 can include a plate 126 to facilitate cutting into thematerial or earth, dragging, and/or pulling of the material to beremoved from under the structure 101. The plate 126 can be attached to aside the drag beam 108 facing towards the rear end 112 of the barge body102. In addition, the plate 126 advantageously facilitates diggingdeeper or cutting into the earth allowing for a greater amount ofmaterial to be removed thereby saving time. The plate 126 can be securedto the drag beam 108 via welding or any other joining method known inthe art. The plate 126 can include a second pad eye 120′ and a secondshackle 122′ configured to receive the cable 118. The second shackle122′ can include a second hole 124′ configured to receive the cable 118.

The dimensions of the drag beam 108 can be selectively adjusted based onjob specifications and site conditions. For example, the drag beam 108can define a length L2 corresponding to a width of the barge body 102,as shown in FIG. 7 . As discussed above, just as the width W1 of thebarge body 102 can be selectively adjusted to correspond to the distancebetween support pilings 107, the drag beam 108 can define the length L2corresponding to the width W1 of the barge body 102 to inhibit contactand/or damage to the structure 101, platform, and pilings 107 while thebarge body 102 is moved in and out from under the structure. It shouldbe appreciated that one skilled in the art can scale the dimensions ofthe drag beam 108, as desired.

With reference to FIGS. 1 and 4-9 , the winch system 106 includes awinch drum 128 and can be disposed near the rear end 112 of thesubmersible drag barge system 100 and a guide system 130 can be disposedat the front end 110 of the submersible drag barge system 100. The winchdrum 128 can be configured to wind the cable 118, which is guided by theguide system 130. The winch drum 128 can be powered manually by air,electricity, or hydraulics, wherein a motor (not shown) applies power ongears and thereby the winch drum 128 for lifting and loweringoperations. In one example, the winch system 106 operates hydraulicallythrough use of a powerpack attached to the winch system 106. Thepowerpack, controls for the winch system 106, and operator can belocated on the boat 103 configured to move the submersible drag bargesystem 100 in and out from under the structure, which is described ingreater detail below.

The guide system 130 can be a sheave assembly. The sheave assembly canhave a housing and a sheave configured to be rotationally mounted in thehousing. The sheave can be rotationally coupled to the winch drum 128via the cable 118 and the drag beam 108 is configured to vertically movevia the winch system 106 between the deployed position and theundeployed position. The guide system 130 can also be a fairlead deviceconfigured to guide the cable 118 running over a front edge of the bargebody 102 to inhibit the cable 118 from moving laterally. The fairleaddevice can inhibit chafing of the cable 118 that may otherwise resultfrom constant rubbing against the barge body 102. The fairlead devicecan include a ring, a hook, or a hole proximate the rear edge of thebarge body.

The winch system 106 can include a guide pulley 136 disposed between thewinch drum 128 and the guide system 130, as shown in FIG. 1 . The guidepulley 136 can be rotationally mounted near the rear end 112 of thesubmersible drag barge system 100. In operation, a first end of thecable 118 can wound around the winch drum 128, runs over the guidepulley 136, and extends along a top side of the barge body 102 towardsthe front end 110. The cable 118 runs over the guide system 130 (e.g.,the sheave of the sheave assembly and/or the fairlead device), extendsover the front end 110 and downwards toward the drag beam 108. A secondend of the cable 118 can be secured to the drag beam 108 via theattachment assembly 116 thereby permitting the drag beam 108 to movebetween the deployed position and undeployed position.

The submersible drag barge system 100 can have multiple winch systems106 and cables 118, as needed to properly support the drag beam 108.Throughout the figures, the submersible drag barge system 100 is shownhaving two winch systems 106 configured to simultaneously facilitatevertical movement of the drag beam 108 relative to the barge body 102.Advantageously, the submersible drag barge system 100 having two winchsystems 106 provides increased stabilization of the drag beam 108 duringvertical movement and while grabbing and dragging the material to beremoved. It should be appreciated that a skilled artisan can scale thenumber of winch systems 106 employed and the location of the componentsof the winch system 106, as desired.

With reference to FIGS. 4, 6, and 8-9 , the submersible drag bargesystem 100 can include a support cable 140 (e.g., a stayback wire)configured to inhibit the drag beam 108 from pivoting undesirably inoperation. More specifically, a first end of the support cable 140 issecured to the barge body 102 adjacent the winch system 106 and a secondend of the support cable 140 is secured to a lower portion 132 of thedrag beam 108 such that when the drag beam 108 is dragging or pullingthe material out from under the structure, the drag beam 108 isinhibited from pivoting in a direction away from a center of thesubmersible drag barge system 100 (e.g., where the upper portion 134 ofthe drag beam 108 is not vertically aligned with the lower portion 132of the drag beam 108).

The drag beam 108 can include a second one of the attachment assembly116′ disposed at the lower portion 132 of the drag beam 108 or the plate126. The second attachment assembly 116′ can include the second pad eye120′ and the second shackle 122′ configured to receive the support cable140. In one embodiment, the support cable 140 can have a Y shaped split,for example, as shown in FIG. 6 . Accordingly, the support cable 140 canbe attached to the first and second attachment assemblies 116, 116′. Theconfiguration of the support cable 140 and the second one of theattachment assembly 116′ is adapted to inhibit pivotal motion of thedrag beam 108 in the first direction.

In operation, when the submersible drag barge system 100 is being pulledout from under the structure 101, the attached drag beam 108 catches anddrags the material thereby removing the material from the targetlocation. As the drag beam 108 is pulled via the submersible drag bargesystem 100, the material in contact with the drag beam 108 can exertforce on or against the drag beam 108. The force exerted against thedrag beam 108 can cause the drag beam 108 to pivot undesirably about theX axis (e.g., where the lower portion 132 of the drag beam 108 moves ina direction away from the center of the submersible drag barge system100) thereby releasing the material caught by the drag beam 108.However, with the support cable 140 attached to the drag beam 108, thesupport cable 140 provides resistive force to inhibit the drag beam 108from pivoting. This allows the drag beam 108 to maintain its hold on thematerial causing the material to be dragged away and removed from thetarget location while the submersible drag barge system 100 is pulledout from under the structure. The submersible drag barge system 100 caninclude any suitable number of support cables 140, as necessary tosupport the drag beam 108.

The submersible drag barge system 100 can include a sensor system 135,having sensors 138, a global positioning system (GPS) unit (not shown),a computer and display screen (not shown). As the drag beam 108 israised or lowered, the back pressure of the water changes, which ismeasured by one or more sensors 138 mounted on at least the drag beam108, the cable 118, and/or the barge body 102. In one example, thesensors 138 of the sensor system 135 can include a bubbler sensormounted on the upper portion 134 of the drag beam 108 to provide thedepth of the drag beam 108. The GPS unit can be mounted on thesubmersible drag barge system 100. The GPS unit and sensors can beconfigured to transmit GPS information and sensor information into thecomputer, which transmits the information to the display screen to beviewed by the operator. In one example, the computer includes softwareconfigured to facilitate monitoring dredging operations, such asDREDGEPACK® available from Xylem, Inc., in Rye Brook, N.Y.

In certain embodiments, fenders 142 can be utilized. The fenders 142 canrun along the side of the pilings 107, as shown in FIG. 7 , to protectthe pilings 107 of the structure 101 in the event the submersible dragbarge system 100 drifts over to the pilings 107. For example, as shownin FIG. 7 , two long fenders 142 are utilized to run along the side ofthe pilings 107 on each side of the submersible drag barge system 100.

In operation, material removed from under the structure 101 can beremoved via a dredging machine (not shown). In a non-limiting example,the dredging machinery includes a clamshell bucket dredge configured toremove as much material the clamshell bucket dredge can reach withoutdamaging the platform or pilings 107. The dredging machine can besituated on a barge. In one example, the dredging machine can besituated on the support barge 105 or a separate barge. Once theclamshell bucket dredge has removed as much material it can safely reachunder the structure 101, the submersible drag barge system 100 is pushedunder the structure 101 via the boat 103 to remove material that theclamshell bucket dredge cannot reach.

The boat 103 attached to the rear end 112 of the submersible drag bargesystem 100 pushes the submersible drag barge system 100 under theplatform of the structure 101 until the front end 110, and thus the dragbeam 108, reaches a predetermined location corresponding to the locationof the material to be removed. When the submersible drag barge system100 reaches the predetermined location, the drag beam 108, disposed atthe front end 110 of the barge body 102, is vertically lowered towardsthe material via the winch system 106 until the drag beam 108 reachesthe material. When drag beam 108 reaches the material, the drag beam 108digs into and catches the material such that the drag beam 108 is in thedeployed position, as shown in FIGS. 8-9 . In other words, when the dragbeam 108 is in the deployed position, the drag beam 108 is engaged withand retains some or all of the material to be removed such that the dragbeam 108 can drag the material along a dragging direction, in which theretained material is dragged from its start location to a predeterminedsecond location.

As shown in FIGS. 8-9 , when the drag beam 108 is in the deployedposition, the boat 103 pulls the submersible drag barge system 100 andthus the drag beam 108 along the dragging direction thereby dragging theretained material with it. As the drag beam 108 is pulled via thesubmersible drag barge system 100, the support cable 140 providesresistive force against force exerted by the retained material. Thisallows the drag beam 108 to maintain its hold on the retained material.

As discussed earlier, as the boat 103 pushes and pulls the submersibledrag barge system 100 in and out from under the platform of thestructure 101, the support barge 105 can be positioned alongside thesubmersible drag barge system 100 and provides lateral control againstupstream and downstream forces of current and/or weather conditions thatmay cause the submersible drag barge system 100 to spin or be displaced.

The present disclosure further contemplates a method 200 for dredgingunder a structure, for example, as shown in FIG. 10 . The method caninclude a step 202 of providing the submersible drag barge system 100 asdescribed herein. The method 200 can include a step 204 of selectivelylowering the barge body 102 by selectively flooding at least one of theplurality of barge sections 104. The method 200 can include a step 206of pushing, with the boat 103, the barge body 102 under the structure101. The method 200 can include a step 208 of lowering the drag beam 108via the winch system 106. The method 200 can include a step of 210pulling, via the boat 103, the barge body 102 from under the structure101.

Example embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will bethorough, and will fully convey the scope to those who are skilled inthe art. Numerous specific details are set forth such as examples ofspecific components, devices, and methods, to provide a thoroughunderstanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. It will beapparent to those skilled in the art that specific details need not beemployed, that example embodiments may be embodied in many differentforms, and that neither should be construed to limit the scope of thedisclosure. In some example embodiments, well-known processes,well-known device structures, and well-known technologies are notdescribed in detail. Equivalent changes, modifications and variations ofsome embodiments, materials, compositions and methods can be made withinthe scope of the present technology, with substantially similar results.

What is claimed is:
 1. A dredging system for removing material under astructure, comprising: a submersible drag barge including: a barge bodyincluding a plurality of barge sections, each barge section of theplurality of barge sections configured to be selectively flooded toadjust a height of the barge body; a winch system attached to the bargebody and including a cable; and a drag beam coupled to the barge bodyvia the cable and configured to vertically move via the winch systembetween a deployed position and an undeployed position.
 2. The dredgingsystem of claim 1, further comprising a boat configured to be attachedto a rear end of the submersible drag barge and configured to push thesubmersible drag barge under the structure when the drag beam is in theundeployed position and pull the submersible drag barge when the dragbeam is in the deployed position.
 3. The dredging system of claim 1,further comprising a support barge disposed adjacent to the submersibledrag barge and configured to laterally support the submersible dragbarge.
 4. The dredging system of claim 1, wherein the barge bodyincludes a bumper extension.
 5. The dredging system of claim 1, whereineach barge section is attached to at least one adjacent barge sectionside-to-side, end-to-end, or end-to-side.
 6. The submersible drag bargeof claim 1, further comprising a support cable including a first endsecured to the winch system and a second end secure to the drag beam. 7.The submersible drag barge of claim 1, wherein the drag beam includes aplate disposed at an angle towards a rear end of the barge body.
 8. Thesubmersible drag barge of claim 1, wherein the drag beam is disposedproximate to a front end of the barge body and the winch system isdisposed at a rear end of the barge body.
 9. The submersible drag bargeof claim 8, further comprising a guide system disposed at the front endof the barge body and receiving the cable from the winch system.
 10. Thesubmersible drag barge of claim 9, wherein the guide system includes asheave assembly.
 11. The submersible drag barge of claim 1, wherein thedrag beam has a length that is substantially the same as a width of thebarge body.
 12. The submersible drag barge of claim 1, wherein the cableis attached to the drag barge via an attachment assembly, the attachmentassembly secured to the drag barge.
 13. The submersible drag barge ofclaim 12, wherein the attachment assembly includes a pad eye and ashackle, and the cable is secured to the shackle.
 14. The submersibledrag barge of claim 1, further comprising a support cable including afirst end secured to the winch system and a second end secure to thedrag beam and the drag beam includes a plate disposed at an angletowards a rear end of the barge body.
 15. The submersible drag barge ofclaim 14, wherein a first attachment assembly disposed on the drag beamreceives the cable and a second attachment assembly disposed on theplate receives the support cable.
 16. The submersible drag barge ofclaim 15, wherein the support cable has a Y-shaped split, and one end isdisposed on the first attachment assembly and an other end is disposedon the second attachment assembly.
 17. The submersible drag barge ofclaim 1, further comprising a sensor system configured to measure adepth of the drag beam.
 18. The submersible drag barge of claim 17,wherein the sensor system includes at least one sensor disposed on thedrag beam.
 19. The submersible drag barge of claim 9, further comprisinga guide pulley disposed between the winch system and the guide system,the guide pulley receiving the cable.
 20. A method of removing materialfrom under a structure, comprising: providing a submersible drag bargeincluding: a barge body including a plurality of barge sections, eachbarge section of the plurality of barge sections configured to beselectively flooded to adjust a height of the barge body; a winch systemattached to the barge body and including a cable; and a drag beamcoupled to the barge body via the cable and configured to verticallymove via the winch system between a deployed position and an undeployedposition; lowering the barge body by selectively flooding at least oneof the plurality of barge sections; pushing, with the boat, the bargebody under the structure; lowering the drag beam via the winch system;and pulling, via the boat, the barge body from under the structure,thereby displacing material from under the structure.